Application Dossier for Nomination to the Global Geoparks Network OKI ISLANDS GEOPARK http://www.oki-geopark.jp INDEX A. Identification of the Area 01 A-1. Name of the proposed Geopark 01 A-2. Surface area, physical and human geography characteristics of the proposed Geopark 01 A-3. Organization in Charge and Management Structure 07 A-4. Application Contact Person 10 B. Geological Heritage 11 B-1. Location of the proposed Geopark 11 B-2. General Geological Description of the proposed Geopark 11 B-3. Listing and description of the Geological Sites within the proposed Geopark 26 B-4. Details on the interest of these sites in terms of their international, national, regional or local value 32 C. Geoconservation 33 C-1. Current or potential pressure on the proposed Geopark 33 C-2. Current status in terms of protection of geological sites within the proposed Geopark 33 C-3. Data on the management and maintenance of these sites 33 C-4. Listing and description of non-geological sites and how they are integrated into the proposed Geopark 33 D. Economic Activity & Business Plan 34 D-1. Economic activity in the proposed Geopark 34 D-2. Existing and planned facilities for the proposed Geopark 34 D-3. Analysis of geotourism potential of the proposed Geopark 35 D-4. Overview and policies for the sustainable development of geo-tourism, geo-education and geo-heritage 36 D-5. Policies for, and examples of, community empowerment in the proposed Geopark 36 D-6. Policies for, and examples of, public and stakeholder awareness in the proposed Geopark 37 E. Interest and arguments for joining the GGN 39 Appendix 42 1. References 42 2. Geosite List 43 3. Geosite Map 46 OKI ISLANDS GEOPARK Section A A. Identification of the Area A-1. Name of the proposed Geopark The main theme of the Oki Islands Geopark is the majestic landscape created by a combination of impressive land formations, unique ecosystem, lifestyle and culture in the remote Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan. The Oki Islands are located in the Sea of Japan, the world’s newest marginal sea (Figure A-1). The flora and fauna that make up the natural landscape of these islands is truly special. The influx of sub-boreal (subalpine) zone vegetation that occurred during the coldest stage of the last ice age can still be seen today, mingled with warm-temperate (basal) zone vegetation. This unique ecosystem is linked not only to environmental elements such as terrain and climate, but also to the origin of these islands and their geology. The foundation for this diverse vegetation is the geology of the land. The basement of the Oki Islands is a fragment of the Eurasian Continent, left behind during the formation of Figure A-1. Location of Oki Islands Geopark the marginal sea, and later overprinted by violent volcanic activity. This process and combination of activity is unusual throughout the world. Oki basement gneisses contain evidence of their continental origin, and the extensive alkali volcanic rocks present, extremely rare elsewhere in the Japanese arc, record the evolutionary history of these islands. Coastal erosion of rock faces has created stunning scenery that features numerous sea caverns and steep cliff-lined coastlines. The roots of Oki history and culture are deeply ingrained in the traditions and rituals held at shrines throughout the Oki Region. These traditional practices date back to the ancient times when obsidian, a product of the past volcanic activity, was an important cultural item. Visitors to the Oki Islands Geopark can view landscapes created by a fusion of geology, geography, topography, geological history, flora, fauna, culture and history, and at the same time come to learn about “the Earth”. The name of the region, Oki, has been incorporated into the name of this Geopark – “Oki Islands Geopark”. The word Oki is included in the name of this Geopark to embrace the historical names of the area, Oki-no- kuni (Oki District) and Oki-gun (Oki County), as well as the present geographic name, Oki-shoto (Oki Islands group).This Geopark became a member of the Japan Geoparks Network (JGN) in October 2009. The Oki Islands Geopark Promotion Committee, a committee comprised of local government bodies, businesses and non-profit organizations based within the Oki Islands Region, are submitting this application for the Oki Islands Geopark to become a member of the Global Geoparks Network (GGN). A-2. Surface area, physical and human geography characteristics of the proposed Geopark A-2-1. Area of the proposed Geopark The confines of the Oki Islands Geopark is indicated by the boundary (as indicated by the thick yellow line) on the map in Figure A-2. Aside from the land area inside this yellow line, the geopark also includes 1km of sea area from the coastline, in consideration of the importance of marine life and the fisheries industry to the way of life of the people of the Oki Islands. This geopark area is clearly marked by the yellow line in the map below and is a total of 673.5 km2 (land area 346.0 km2 and marine area 327.5 km2). 01 OKI ISLANDS GEOPARK Section A The geological basement of the Oki Islands is Paleogene gneiss, and subsequent volcanic activity at Miocene created two volcanic islands. The remaining volcanic topography of the Oki Islands has very different geographical and geological properties from those of the Japanese mainland and its surrounding islands. A-2-2. Geographical Setting of the proposed Geopark The Oki Islands Geopark is nestled alongside the Japanese archipelago, and is comprised entirely of remote islands. Oki is situated between the island arc of Japan and the Eurasian Continent, within the marginal sea represented by the Sea of Japan. The closest land mass is the western part of Honshu of mainland Japan. The nearest point on Figure A-2. Enclosure of Oki Islands Geopark the mainland is Shimane Peninsula in the Chugoku Region, approximately 40km from Oki (Figure A-3). Four inhabited islands and 180 smaller uninhabited islands and rocky reefs (satellite rock clusters) make up Oki. The islands all lie within a 40km north-south, east-west perimeter, and are divided into two main areas. The three inhabited islands closest to mainland Japan which form a circular shape (Nishinoshima Island, Nakanoshima Island, and Chiburijima Island) are collectively known as Dozen. The largest inhabited island is named Dogo Island (approximately 242 km2). Dogo is circular, and lies 10km north-east of the Dozen Islands. Dozen The three Dozen Islands have a total area of 50 km2 inner sea enclosed by the islands has a maximum water depth of 55m, and is connected to the open ocean by three waterways and one canal. Nishinoshima lies on the outer perimeter of the inner sea in a west-north direction. A large peninsula (Mt. Takuhi) juts out to the south of Nishinoshima, into the center of the inner sea. With an altitude of 451.7m, Mt. Takuhi towers over the rest of the Dozen Islands. This area thus has three key elements – Mt. Takuhi, the inner sea, and the islands themselves. All of the major settlements in Dozen are located on the shoreline of the inner sea. Figure A-3. Oki Islands Geopark, Japan Dogo Dogo is almost circular in shape, with a NE-SW dimension of 18km and a NW-SE diameter of 20km. Most of its coastline features areas of coastal erosion backed by undulating mountain districts, but few coastal plains. An expanse of flat land lies in the center of the island. The mountainous areas are separated by flat land which divides the mountains into northern, southern, eastern, and western districts. A lava plateau headland on the south-west corner of the island provides the site of the Oki Islands’ only airport. Terraced geography occurs along the seashore where there is no coastal erosion, and in the central lowland. Many settlements are located on open flat ground made from wave-cut benches cut into the steep cliffs along the coastline. Bold cliffs are located in the vicinity of these settlements. The main road which connects these settlements features more than 20 tunnels along its coastal route, which cuts through these cliffs. A-2-3. Access The Oki Islands can be accessed from the mainland of Japan by either sea (ferry and high-speed ferry) or air (Oki Airport). Visitors travelling by ferry arrive at Saigo Port (Dogo Island) or at one of the ferry ports in the group of 02 OKI ISLANDS GEOPARK Section A three smaller islands (Dozen). These are Beppu Port (Nishinoshima Island), Hishiura Port (Nakanoshima Island) and Kurii Port (Chiburijima Island). The ferry service connects the four ports in Oki with Shichirui Port and Sakaiminato Port on the mainland. Flights from Shimane Prefecture’s regional airport (Izumo Enmusubi Airport) and one of Japan’s major domestic airports (Itami Airport, Osaka) operate to and from Oki Airport, which is located on Dogo, the largest island. Scheduled ferry and plane services to and from the mainland operate daily. However, bad Figure A-4. Access to Oki Islands weather during winter leads to the cancellation of a small percentage of ferries and flights. There is no direct connection to Oki from overseas ports or airports, but access is easy. The most direct way to access Oki is by domestic transfer from international airports in Japan such as Tokyo Narita (NRT), Osaka Kansai (KIX) and Fukuoka (FUK), to either Izumo Enmusubi (IZO) Airport for air connection to Oki or to Yonago Kitaro (YJG) Airport for a ferry connection. From Yonago, passengers can transfer to either Shichirui Port or Sakaiminato Port and use the Oki Kisen Ferry Line to access each of the Oki Islands.